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GEORGIA LEGISLATORS
WIND HP THEIR WORK
Catapult Progress Made in Closing Hours
Which Were Extended to Sunday.
WHAT WAS DONE
Many Bills Carried Through
on “Reform” Wave While
Others Languish Until
Next Session.
The Georgia legislature adjourned
jat Atlanta sine die Sunday morning
lat 3:26 o’clock. The session will be
•one as notable for the things left un
idone as the actions accomplished.
; The senate had the Dest of the house
'this year in the matter of having its
bills enacted into laws instead of
house measures.
Senate bill No. 1, the famous prohi
bition bill, after a stormy fight
through thirty-odd days, was the first
ibill to be enacted into a general law.
The first bill introduced in the house
! —the famous Wright anti-lobby bill —
[goes over until next session with un-
Ifinished business.
The Overstreet-Candler bill—passed
ifirst by the senate —was late Saturday
night enacted into a law, having been
passed by the house only last week.
i The Felder-Williams disfranchise-
I
iment bill, passed in the senate early
in the session, was only accepted by
jthe house during the last days of the
Session, and passed.
The Hall anti-pass bill —passed ear
jiy in the session by the house —was
sent to the senate, where the sen
iate turned it down and insisted on
|
jthe Born-Felder bill, neither |bf which
were ever accepted by the other, and
this 'Platform plank goes over to the
next session, along with the Wright
anti-lobby bill.
The bill to create a state board of
.bank examiners and to authorize the
•tate treasurer to appoint additional
bank inspectors to improve and
Istrengthen the state banking ( laws,
|was passed by the house and accepted
by the senate, afterwards becoming
ia law.
i In the Overstreet-Candler bill, which
increases the powers and number of
railroad commission of Georgia, the
ihouse won out on the main points in
!toe bill.
i The house forced the senate to yield
lin the matter of having five commis
sioners instead of U>eee. But not un-
til after a stormy session had followed
to the senate, where it was openly
Charged by three senators that the gov
ernor had lobbied with the changing
Senators in a manner which, if the
same had been done by railroad attor
neys, would have brought forth a howl
jof protest.
| The senate, time and again, refused
to accept three commissioners, and the
governor was about to call an extra
session to have this bill enacted into
a law when the change of heart and
Votes took place, and the bill was ac
cepted, as amended, by the senate
shortly before midnight Saturday night.
The house also amended this bill so
that if the governor has the right to
appoint two additional commissioners
to serve until they or their successors
can be elected by the people, he can
not name the chairman, but that oi
fleer is to be elected by the commis
sion. It was also fixed in the house
to regulate gas, electric and water pow
er companies and in addition to all
these, cotton compress companies.
It was upon the motion of Mr. Hall
that the office of attorney to the com
mission was created with an annual
salary of $2,500, and this 'Place is to
be filled by appointment from the gov
ernor.
In the same way the disfranchise
ment bill which came to the house
tor amendments got one of the strong
est clauses attached which goes
the proposed constitutional amend
ment.
It is in the third clause under
which registration is to be had, if the
amendment is ratified by a vote of
the people. This is the “good charac
ter clause,” which is to stand for all
time, and is not to be limited to 1910
or 1911 as was suggested by the
senate. Other than this the adminis
tration bill was passed just as receiv
ed from the senate.
The general tax act was the cause
of lengthening the session far into Sun
day morning. It was the section of
this important measure which placed
a tax on social clubs keeping intox
icants in lockers. By reason of the
close relation to the subject matter
it was swung into another prohibition
fight, and it looked as though an ex
tra session would be necessary to get
this clause accepted by both houses.
Sunday morning at 3:15 it was
agreed to tax these locker clubs SSOO
instead of S3OO as proposed by Mr.
Wright in the house or $10 ; 000 as pro
posed by the senate. This compromise
was not effected until the general as
sembly was worn out, tired and sleepy.
The governor sent a special message
to the general assembly asking for an
income tax on all railroads In the state.
The house declared against income
taxes. An amendment to the act call
ing for an income tax on the manu
facturers of soda fount sirups was of
fered and voted down.
The house refused to raise the com
inon school fund to $2,000,000, but
when the senate stood out for that
amount for 1908 instead of $1,850,000,
as fixed in the house, the house con
curred, as it did for several other mi
nor appropriations.
Asa reinfcrcer of the prohibition
law the house Saturday night passed
the bill which prohibits the sale of nar
cotics, except on physicians’ prescrip
tions.
The greatest interest had been
aroused over what has been commonly
called the “water power bill,” that was
tabled Saturday night anu IdTied for
the session. This bill provides the right
of eminent domain for public utility
corporations, and gives them the right
to condemn other water power com
panies for the public good.
One of the most important pieces of
legislation that was allowed to go over
without enactment was the Hardeman
resolution calling for the appointment
of a legislative commission to investi
gate the alleged ownership of the Cen
tral o! Georgia by the Southern, any
other corporation or individual in vio
lation of the constitution of Georgia.
Another important resolution not act
ed upon was that by Mr. Johnson of
Jasper, which called for the creation
of a commission to investigate who is
getting the benefit of reduced freight
rates since the rates have been re
duced to the jobber and the prices to
the consumer continue to soar sky
ward.
The bill which raises the price of
fertilizer tags from 10 to 25 cents
passed in the house by a big major
ity, but was not passed in the senate.
It was hoped by the terms of this bill
to raise $160,000 to support the eleven
district and university colleges of ag
riculture.
Among the last bills to be passed
were two of widespread interest. The
first was that of Senator Dobbs,where
by railroads are compelled to furnish
refrigerator cars for the immediate use
of shippers after being ordered and
providing a heavy penatly for non
compliance. The other was a “Sun
day bill.” This bill provides for the
creation of a stato board of examin
ers for trained nurses, and was pass
ed Sunday morning.
While the s-ssicn was most fruitful
many important bills not here enum
erate went over to the next session.
Repeated recesses were taken be
tween midnight and adjournment. Dur
ing these lulls there were mock ses
sions of the legislature with various
humorists in the speaker’s chair; oth
er wits about the floor and a general
jollification all round. The house threw
spit balls until their arms ached; sang
until thev were hoarse and danced un
til they * were sore. To the tune of
••God Be With You Till We Meet
Agai n ” the solons departed and de
bate will be cut off in the capitol un
til June, 1909.
TEDDY WONT MEDDDLE
Will Take No Hand in Settlement ol
Strike of Telegraphers—Both Sides
Still Remain Firm.
President Roosevelt will not con
cern himself personally with the tel
egraphers’ strike, according to the best
and latest information obtainable. Ap
peals to the president to take some
action looking to a settlement of the
strike were received at the executive
office in Oyster Bay Wednesday from
boards of trade and commercial bod
ies of a large number of cities. The
applications were similar to those for
mulated by the Chicago board of trade.
The communications have been refer
red to the commissioner of labor, Mr.
NeUl. It is understood that no instruc
tions or recommendations have been
forwarded to Mr. Neill.
The strike situation in Chicago and
throughout the middle west, Wednes
day night, according to officials of the
Western Union and Postal, showed
that duing the twenty-four hours pre
ceding the companies whose men went
on strike have made rapid strides to
wards getting their business back on
a normal basis.
Conditions have improved so much
with the Western Union Telegraph
company they felt they were justified
in opening their board of trade office,
and announcement was made that they
would have telegraph operators on the
floor Thursday morning when the mar
ket opened, ready to accept business
for all parts of the country.
The Postal telegraph officials de
clare that they were more than satis
fied with what they had accomplished
toward getting the service going, and
that it will be but a short time until
branch offices will be opened for busi
ness.
Peace efforts inaugurated by Samuel
Gompers and other officers of the
American Federation of Labor are still
under way, according to a statement
made by President Gompers:
“Peace has not failed, because peace
has not been considered by either side
up to the present time. While the men
are still answering the implse to
strike, there is little, if any, use in
trying to get them to think of going
back,” said Mr. Gompers.
All the Associated Press circuits ra
diating from Chicago to the east, the
north and the west, were restored to
normal working basis on Wednesday
morning.
There was little change in the tele
graph strike situation Wednesday as
far as concerns New York. The West
ern Union and Postal Telegraph com
panies profess to be thoroughly satis
fied with the progress made toward
normal conditions. On the other hand
the leaders of the strikers declare
their cause has been strengthened by
the responses to the calls to go out in
many of the cities where strikes had
not already been inaugurated.
The demands of the striking Asso
ciated Press operators forwarded tc
General Manager Stone are as fol
lows:
Day Work —Six days, eight hours
day, $3O per week and overtime and
extra, at the rate of CO cents pel
hour.
Night Work —Six nights, fight hours
$35 a week and overtime and extra ai
the rate of 70 cents per hour.
The vacation to remain as at pres
ent.
A proportionate increase for chiefs
and sub-chief operators.
CORTELYOU IN THE BREACH.
Secretary of Treasury Goes to Reliei
on Money Market.
Secretary of the Treasury Cortf:lyou
has decided again to come to the re
lief c*l the money market and distrib
ute government bonds to aid the move
ment of crops this year.
The plan pursued last year again
will be followed with some modifica
tion, but in general it will be that for
merlly adopted by Secretary Shaw.
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES GUILTY.
Conductor, Engineer and Two Dispatchers
Held Responsible for a Collision.
The coroner’s jury at Raleigh, N. C.,
investigating into the cause of a head
on collision between a freight and pas
senger train on the Southern railway
near Auburn on August 6 in which a
freight engineer and two firemen were
killed, found that Engineer Ripp y and
Conductor Oakley, B. R. Ketchum,
chief train dispatcher, and Victor Par
vin, train dispatcher, were guilty of
gross negligence and carelessness. All
four will be trieKl for manslaughter.
WALL STREET
TRIES A SCARE
Solid Business of Country, How
ever, is Not Disturbed.
FAKE CRY OF “WOLF”
Slump in Stoc’c Market Attributed te
Standard Oil Gang’s Manipulation
and Scheme Falls Flat.
A Washington special says: Stocks
have been declining the past few days
at a great rate, and the Wall street
speculators are declaring that the rea
son for it is that the president seems
about to enforce the laws of the Unit
ed States.
Mr. Roosevelt has been president of
the United States nearly seven years.
Exactly why anybody should come
to the conclusion that now he Is going
to enforce the laws against the trusts
does not appear to the ordinary mind,
but almoic anything appears to the
stock gambler’s mind.
The exposure of the methods of the
Standard Oil company, which, after
several years’ delay, Mr. Herbert Knox
Smith, under the direction of Mr.
Roosevelt, is making, is no evidence
that anything ts going to be done
about it, and if anything is done it
seems very clear to those who watch
the situation at close range that only
the Standard Oil company will suffer.
The Standard Oil company gets no
benefit from the tariff regulations. All
other big trusts which have been sell
ing abroad cheaper than at home, for
instance, are enabled to commit this
iniquity by the tariff regulation.
It is certain, almost beyond perad
venture, that the government is not
likely to touch any of the trusts which
are protetced by the tariff.
It is known that a certain group of
financiers, shown as the Standard Oil
are the most powerful manipulators
in Wall street; and, although Stand
ard Oil stock itself is known as a
curbstone, that is, it Is not bought
and sold on the stock exchange, it. is
also known that this Standard Oil
group has a hand in nearly every big
transaction on the exchange. Stand
ard Oil could, therefore, easily bring
about a decline in the prices of most
of the stocks. This, it is thought in
Washington, is what is being done, in
order to frighten the administration
and prevent further proceedings
against the Standard 0:1 company.
Stocks may continue to decline and
the panic on Wall street, inspired by
the Standard Oil group, may cause
thousands of panicky and <asily fooled
American Investors to lose piles of
money, but reports from every quarter
of this country are to the effect that
times were never better, the crop
outlook is bright-r than it has been
for years, all the great industries of
the country are prospering, people
have money and they have produce to
be hauled by railroads and to be hand
led by manufacturers, merchants and
consumers. Thtre canont be any hard
times when such conditions as these
obtain and a cry of “wolf,” "wolf,” in
Wall stret is a false alarm, as all wise
men know.
eYt, of course, there is only one man
in America who can save the coun
try. He is at present pitching hay up
at Oyster Bay.
SUMMER RESORT FIRE-SWEPT.
Hotel Section of Old Orchard, Maine,
Wiped Out With Heavy Loss.
Nearly one-balf of the summer ho
tel section along the shore front al
Old Orchard, Maine, was swept by
fire Thursday night, the 1()S3 probably
amounting to fully half a million dol
lars. The Hotel Fluke, valued at $50,-
J 00; the Hotel Emerson, valued at
$75,000; the Hotel Alberta, the Aldine,
the Lawrence house and half a dozen
smaller hotels, together with about
fifty cottages, were destoryed.
HEW’ YORK IN NEED OF CASH.
City Unable to Secure Wherewith to Pay
Pressing Obligations.
Admission is made in New York that
the city is hard pressed to pay its bills
due to the present tight money mar
ket and a consequent inability to dis
pose of city bonds. The result is that
one of the richest cities in the world
Is poor, so far as ready cash is con
cerned, for the first time in the mein
cry of living man. It is stated that
there is about $1,000,000 on hand to
meet nearly $4,000,000 of pressing ob
ligations.
CONFLICT IMPENDING
Between Little South American States,
According to Surprising Lews
Reaching Washington.
The news from Mexico of an impend
ing conflict between all of the Cen
tral American states except Costa
Rica was received in Washington on
Thursday with surprise and incredul
ity, for up to that time all of the ad
vices from that quarter of the world
which had reached Washington were
to the effect that the asperities caused
by the last Nicaraguan attack upon
Acatutla, Salvador, has been smooth
ed down under the combined influ
ence of the governments of Mexico
and United States.
Indeed, It was the belief of the state
department officials that arrangements
were about to be perfected for a con
ference in Washington next fall or
winter of delegations from the Central
American states, the only obstacle be
ing the reluctance of each of the par
ties to taking the initiative in asking
for the conference.
Only Wednesday the state depart
ment received a cablegram from Amer
ican Minister Lee at Guatamala City,
stating that Guillermo Aguirre, the
minister of finance of Guatamala, ac
companied by Senor Mato and another
official, had just left that city for the
City of Mexico for the purpose of meet
ing Secretary Root upon his approach
ing vist there. It Is understood that
this Guatamalan delegation is clothed
with full power to represnt their gov
ernment in the effort to Improve the
relations between Guatamala and
Mexico, which have not yet recovered
from the strain to which they were
subjected as the result, of the refusal
of President Cabrera to surrender to
Mexico for trial the alleged instigators
of the assassination of the late Gen
eral Barillas.
Ail official statements relative to
Secretary Root’s projected - trip har
been to the-effect that It Is to be ab
solutely unconnected with politics, but
it is scarcely expected he would re
fuse to meet the GuutaifTulun de-lega
tion, in view of his freely expressed
desire to use his best efforts to pre
serve the peace in the south. For the
same reason, if the meeting takes
place, and war has not in the mean
time broken out between the Central
American states, It is probable that
Secretary Root would feel It his duty
to pass beyond the simple question of
the relations between Guatamala and
Mexico and endeavor to Impress upon
the delegations the wisdom of conserv
ing the peace with their other neigh
bors.
EMPLOYEES GIVEN A REST.
Wholesale Vacations Granted By Big Man
ufacturing Company.
The Clark O. N. T. Thread company,
which employes several thousand
hands, posted a notice Thursday to the
effect that the Newark mill will close
down from August 24 until Septem
ber 3, while the bill In Kearney will
close on the same day and remain
closed ftnt.ll September 10.
The demand for vacations became
so great that the company found It
would almost empty the mills to grant
all the applications and decided to let
all hands rest at once.
SPIES OF THE GOVERNMENT
Employed on Railroads and Trust Combi
nations Throughout the Country.
Secret service agents of the United
States department of justice, working
through the bureau of corporators, are
said to he on the pay rolls of all the
big railway corporations and trust
combinations in the country.
In Chicago alone, it. is said, there
aro at least 150 special men who are
working fior railroads and packing
! house companies, and are watching ev
| ery move that is made with a view to
! ascertaining whether the corporation
| | a wa are observed in letter and spirit
PRAYERS PROVED UNAVAILING.
Father Allowed Child to Die Without s
Physician and i3 Arrested.
Ruth Anna Peterson, a 15-montha-oK
child, Is dead of whooping cough at her
home in Tottenville, Staten Island, and
the police who allege that the child
died without medical attention, piac and
the father under arrest on a charge of
manslaughter. Peterson told the coro
ner that neither he nor h'-a wife were
members of any cult, but believed in
the efficacy cf prayer,
nanquec.